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Monthly Archives: August 2012

Sheldon Royster, one of New Jersey’s most sought-after defensive back recruits last year, will transfer to Rutgers after receiving his scholarship release from South Carolina, according to ScarletReport.com.

After asking for and receiving his release on Sunday, Royster apparently opted to join former St. Peter’s Prep teammates Savon Huggins and Keith Lumpkin at Rutgers. According to Scout.com, Royster was the nation’s seventh-rated and New Jersey’s top-ranked safety prospect coming out of St. Peter’s Prep in 2011.

After receiving more than a dozen scholarship offers, Royster ultimately chose South Carolina over Rutgers right before 2011 signing day. The 5-11, 190-pounder, who redshirted as a true freshman last year, will sit out this season per NCAA transfer rules and will have three years of eligibility beginning next fall.

With starting free safety Duron Harmon and nickel defensive back Wayne Warren set to graduate after the season, Royster is expected to compete for a starting nod this spring. For now, he is expected to contribute to Rutgers’ scout team.

Following practice on Tuesday, Rutgers coach Kyle Flood talks about preparations for Tulane, contingency plans in light of Hurricane Isaac, and offers a positive update on the status of Max Issaka, the redshirt freshman defensive end from Woodbridge who has been excused since the beginning of the preseason while dealing with a death in the family:

The foundation was established by formerRutgersmen’s basketball coach Jim Carr and his wife Natalie, whose 2-year-old son Brayden died in 2011 after a long illness. It provides athletic, social, rehabilitative and academic opportunities to children with seizure conditions as well as humanitarian support to their parents.

Last year’s inaugural clinic featured Bob Hurley, John Calipari, Jeff Van Gundy, Bill Self, Larry Brown and Mike Rice. It drew 500 attendees and raised more than $75,000 for the foundation.

The registration fee is $150 per person and includes a continental breakfast, lunch and snacks. The first 500 to register receive a portfolio and a Nike polo shirt.

Go to the Asbury Park Press website today at 7:30 p.m. to chat Rutgers football with our Rutgers beat writer Keith Sargeant. No topic is out of bounds as Keith will be previewing the 2012 college football season, the chances that the Scarlet Knights will win that elusive Big East championship, key position battles that were won this summer, and offering his thoughts on the season opener Saturday night against Tulane in New Orleans.

Unlike previous chats, this one at APP.com will be a video chat and Keith plans on answering as many questions that come his way.

In part 1 of Kyle Flood’s weekly press conference, Rutgers’ first-year coach talks about the upcoming matchup with Tulane, updates his injury report, explains the significance of coaching his first game at the helm of the Scarlet Knights program:

In part 2, Flood talks about the impact that Tulane linebacker Trent Mackey’s suspension causes on the game-plan, the tight end depth chart that lists Paul Carrezola as the starter and D.C. Jefferson as the backup, and whether he plans on testing Tulane’s run defense:

In part 3, Flood talks about the defensive line depth and what he expects out of starting quarterback Gary Nova in his second season:

Kyle Flood is set to coach his first game as head of the Rutgers football team when the Scarlet Knights play at Tulane on Saturday night. (Photo by Jason Towlen/MyCentralJersey.com)

Kyle Flood said he is aware of the potential havoc Tropical Storm Isaac could cause to the New Orleans area, and made it clear that is his first concern.

But with the Rutgers football team headed for New Orleans on Friday afternoon to play Tulane in its season opener Saturday (8 p.m., CBS Sports Network) at the Superdome, the Scarlet Knights first-year coach said there currently are no contingency plans to postpone the game or move it to another venue.

Flood said, however, “it’s going to be an hour-to-hour process” for Will Gilkison, Rutgers’ director of football operations, and school officials to watch for the potential impact of the storm.

“First of all what I would say is that our thoughts and prayers are with the people down there,” Flood said Monday morning at his weekly press conference. “It comes at a time that is ominously close to the time of (Hurricane) Katrina a couple of years ago. We’re hoping for the safety of everybody in New Orleans first and foremost.

“As of right now, in this minute, we don’t have any plans to change our itinery. We have heard nothing of the thought of postponing or changing the game (venue) or anything like that. So as of today, in this minute, everything is going to go forward on schedule.”

Michael Larrow, a fourth-year Rutgers football junior defensive end who was suspended for the first four games of the season by coach Kyle Flood on Friday for an unspecified violation of team rules, was arrested and charged with simple assault and disorderly conduct on July 28 in New Brunswick as a result of an altercation with a female, according to a police report obtained by New Jersey Press Media.

One of the great things about little kids is their pure honesty, and my 4-year-old had it Sunday.
I finished the Wildwood half-marathon in two hours, 15 minutes, and I ran the last few hundred yards with my younger son. (My 6 ½-year-old apparently is already too cool to hang with dad.)
We cross the finish line and the person hands out the medals and says to my kid, “You finished so you get to dad’s medal.”
So we’re eating a late lunch/early dinner later in the day and he says, “Dad, where’s my medal?” Oh, and he’s serious. He wanted to know again this morning the location of his medal.

Today at 11:30 a.m., Rutgers coach Kyle Flood will hold his weekly press conference and on Wednesday the first-year skipper will conduct his first radio show for the fans.

The Kyle Flood Show will debut at the Audi Rutgers Club inside High Point Solutions Stadium, and fans are invited to attend. The show allows fans to ask questions or call-in each week for insight and commentary from Flood.

Doors open at 7 p.m., and fans should use Gate E to enter the Audi Rutgers Club. Parking is available in the Hale Center brown lot or the white lot. Food, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase.

Wednesday’s one-hour show will air live on ScarletKnights.com, and can be heard via tape delay following Somerset Patriots baseball on WCTC-1450 AM. To join the show, call 1-888-545-9282 or 732-545-WCTC (9282) to speak to coach Flood. ScarletKnights.com’s RVision will provide a webcast featuring live video of the program.

The first few shows will be live on location at the Audi Rutgers Club until construction is completed at Brother Jimmy’s in New Brunswick.

Two lucky fans will be selected on location at Wednesday’s first show to receive a pair of Audi Rutgers Club seats for the season-opener September 8 vs. Howard. To enter, just drop a business card inside the box at the show.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Former Don Bosco defensive back Larry Stevens transferred as a Rutgers walk-on to be closer to home, and his debut at High Point Solutions Stadium brought his mother to tears after an impact special teams play.

Last week, the top target for Rutgers basketball in the class of 2017, NYC point guard Jose Alvarado, included the Scarlet Knights in his final three schools that he is choosing from. His decision is between Rutgers, Seton Hall, and Georgia Tech. Last night, Alvarado stated he will announce his decision on Thursday afternoon at […]

It was a quiet week in the NFL for most of our former Scarlet Knights, but there were a few moments worth noting. Let’s take a look at it: Anthony Davis (49ers)- Anthony had been listed prior to the game as the starter. On Saturday, not only was he not starting, there were rumors of […]

About the Author

Jerry CarinoJerry Carino has covered sports for the Gannett New Jersey newspapers since 1996 and has been on the college basketball beat since 2003. A native of Old Bridge, he also teaches journalism at Kean University.E-mail Jerry

Josh NewmanJosh Newman has worked for the Press since September 2004 and began covering Shore Conference sports full time in September 2006. He is a 2004 graduate of Springfield College with a degree in communications/sports journalism.E-mail Josh

Ryan DunleavyRyan Dunleavy has covered Rutgers athletics for more than a decade, dating back to his days as a student at his alma mater. He became New Jersey Press Media’s Rutgers women’s basketball beat writer in 2009 and Rutgers football beat writer in 2013. Since joining the staff in 2004, the Morris County native also has covered the NFL, MLB, NBA, the Somerset Patriots and high school sports.E-mail Ryan